Let's Go Steal A Family
by Winterlovedoves
Summary: Nate has been chasing Sophie for years, but when death knocks at her door it becomes more important than ever that he catch her. Things get tricky when old secrets threaten to come to light and kids get mixed up in the madness. However, should they make it through alive, the leverage crew might just find themselves stealing a family. AU: Eliot, Alec, and Parker are kids.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

**Hi all, Welcome to "Let's go steal a family." I am a big leverage fan, and I absolutely love the chemistry between all of the characters; Nate and Sophie are like the parents while Eliot, Alec, and Parker are like the children. This story is inspired by that idea, as well as by the awesome fic "Little leverage" by rmonroe. Be sure to check that story out after you finish reading this one.**

 **Anyway, I really hope you enjoy, and be sure to review after you've finished reading.**

 **And, no, I don't own leverage. If I did you would know Sophie's real name.**

 _Chapter I:_

"Where are they!" Nate yelled.

The only response he received was a chuckle.

"They're dying as we speak."

"I will kill you!" Nate spat, venom filling his voice as he put his hands around the man's neck, ready to squeeze at any moment.

"You'll never get to them if you do. I have a security system that not even your little hacker brat could get into."

Sophie grabbed one of the knives and slammed it into his leg, causing the man to scream out in pain.

"Tell, or you won't just die, it will we a long, painful death."

Nate showed his agreement by punching the man in the face.

"Okay okay! Go to the computer and plug VHG00967&1000 into the screen."

Sophie dropped the knife and hurried over to the computer, doing as she was told.

What happened next broke her heart.

 _15 days earlier:_

"I'm so glad you decided come." The red haired beauty chuckle seductively as she ran her hands through Nate's hair.

"Yeah, well, I'd be crazy to miss out on an opportunity like this, wouldn't I." Nate did his best sound charming. Judging by Amara's giggle he had done a good job but, to tell the truth, he really wasn't in the mood.

Sure, Amara was attractive... Very attractive, but he hadn't dated anyone since he had broken up with his wife, and after the pain he had gone through he really wasn't up to getting serious with anyone else.

But Amara was pushy, and she had insisted on constant calls, text messages, and dates several nights a week. They had only been dating for a month and Nate felt that things were moving too quickly, but he hadn't worked up the gall to turn her away. If he had then maybe he'd be spending his night off actually relaxing.

Gandrige Museum was filled with some of the best historical pieces ever recovered and Nate always got a kick out of looking at old, ragged objects his company would pay over two million for. But right now, all he wanted was to be alone in his apartment.

"Ooh, look over here!" Amara interrupted his thoughts as she pulled him over to an old roman statue.

"Look at the determination in his eyes. I'll bet he was supposed to be a warrior." The red head speculated as she studied the work. The man was frozen in time, focusing his eyes on something directly ahead of him.

Nate glanced over at the description of the old piece.

"You're right." He said with a small smile.

"You have an knack for this sort of thing, huh."

Just like Maggie he thought bitterly

Amara giggled and glanced at the clock before looking Nate directly in the eyes.

"You'll find I'm full of surprises."

Nate forced a smile and Amara looked around for a moment before spotting the restroom signs in the distances.

"Babe, I need to go freshen up real quick. Why don't you go look at those paintings over there." She pointed in the direction of the picture gallery. "I'll join you in a moment."

She gestured him in the direction of the gallery before turning and heading towards the restroom.

Nate sighed and walked over to the gallery. A few minutes later, he was so lost in his own thoughts that he jumped when Amara returned and put her hand on his shoulder.

"is everything okay?" She asked in concern.

Nate nodded "yeah, yes I'm fine."

She put her arms on his shoulders.

"Good."

They stood there like that for a moment before Amara glanced at the clock once again and smiled.

"What do you say we go and admire some chili and French wine? I'm getting hungry."

Nate shrugged "I know a place."

Amara nodded and locked arms with Nate as they headed out of the museum.

Thanks to Amara, three hours later they were in Nate's apartment, on Nate's couch.

"It's a beautiful evening." Amara said as she ran her fingers up and down Nate's shoulder.

Nate nodded blankly.

"yeah it is."

Amara rested her head on Nate's chest, much to the man's discomfort. "We should enjoy it together."

Nate shook his head, pushing her away. He stood up and walked over to the window. Amara frowned and followed him.

"What's wrong?"

"Amara, I-"

He was interrupted when his lips were suddenly locked with the red head's. He shook his head once again, breaking away.

"Amara I can't..." He tried again.

"Why not?" Her voice feigned innocence.

"Because..." Nate was wracking his brain for an excuse when his cell phone rang.

"Because I have to take this call." He told her, seizing the opportunity to slip away. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered it, not even bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Nathan Ford," a familiar voice answered,

"You are dead."

 **Whoa, nice way to greet somebody. Who do you think that might be, and why. Also, what do you think of Amara? Anyway, don't forget to review and let me know how you liked it. Reviews mean a lot to me!**

 **And let me know if the layout here is okay, I'm publishing on a mobile to I'm not sure how that will effect the look on computers and other mobiles...**


	2. Chapter 2: She Did What!

Chapter II - She Did What!

"You are dead."

Those three words had sent chills through the insurance cop's blood. But that was only the beginning.

"I just don't understand it Nate. You always find trouble but this... This tops everything."

"Thanks for the praise." Nate glared at Ian before turning back to computer screen and watching the footage again.

He walks over to the gallery and looks around, then Amara comes up to him. They talk and then leave the museum.

It was amazing how something so simple could be turned into such a nightmare so quickly.

"I still don't understand it, I tracked Sophie all day. Nothing she did indicated that she was about to rob anything." Nate said as he took a sip of beer and continued to watch the footage.

"Well she did, and not only did she rob an painting from the gallery you, the person who's been on her case for the past three years, were inspecting minutes before she got there, but she also happened to rob a painting that's insured for $6 million by our biggest rival, T.M.D.A. Do you know how bad that makes us look?"

Nate took another sip of his beer. "Yeah, we're in trouble."

"You really blew it this time." The old man waved his clenched fist in frustration.

"I'm telling you Blackpoole, I was on Sophie's tail all day yesterday. It doesn't make sense!"

"Well, Ford, thanks to you I.Y.S.'s stock has already dropped twenty points, and I'm getting calls from some of our biggest clients threatening to take their business elsewhere."

"And, we'll be paying a boatload of money to a public relations specialist."

Nate closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The last person he wanted to see or hear at the moment was Sterling.

"You found a PR specialist?" Ian asked hopefully as Sterling entered the room.

"The best of the best. They say she could convince a dead person that they were still alive if she wanted to."

"Oh goodie." The old man clapped his hands together like a little kid.

"When will she be here?"

"Within an hour. She says it's crucial to nip the rumors in the butt."

"Good." Ian smiled for the first time that day and Sterling turned to face Nate.

"Hello Nate." He said as he joined the man in watching the security footage, which was now at the part where a female walked into the gallery. The back of her head was covered by a scarf, hiding her hair color. Her face never once turned towards any of the cameras in the museum.

"We never see the woman's face, how can we really know if it's Devereaux?" Nate asked.

"The witnesses description fits Devereaux's perfectly, and the way she operated, it's the way Devereaux operates.

Nate shook his head "I'm still not going for it."

Ian turned to face him. "What you go for or don't go for doesn't matter. All that matter's is that the public is going for it and our stock is down 20-"

"Thirty." Sterling interrupted.

"Down thirty, in less than twelve hours." Ian finished.

"Well let's hope your PR specialist is as good as Sterling thinks she is." Nate snapped before turning away from the computer and storming out of the room.

Nate didn't return to I.Y.S. Headquarters until later that afternoon, after getting some much needed rest. Amara had tried to call him several times but he ignored her. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what he was feeling but something was definitely not right.

The headquarters was surrounded by press when he finally showed up to I.Y.S. again, and it took Nate nearly ten minutes to push past everyone and get inside. He hurried back up to Blackpoole's office and was thankful to see that Sterling was no longer up there.

However, a young blond lady who appeared to be in her early thirties was.

"Hello Mr. Ford." She greeted when he entered.

"And you must be the PR specialist." Nate held out his hand and the woman shook it firmly.

"Daniella Carvins" she said with a smile.

Nate nodded and gestured to Ian.

"I take it he explained the situation."

Daniella nodded.

"He also mentioned that you don't believe the thief was Sophie."

"I've been tracking her closely for several weeks now, I would have known if she was planning something like that. Plus, the woman's face is never shown in the security footage."

"A fact worthy of noting." Daniella smiled as she scribbled something down on a notepad.

"I must say there are a lot of holes in this story," she turned to Ian, "It sounds almost as if I.Y.S. was set up."

"But by who?" Ian asked.

"That's not my job." Daniella replied. "My job is to convince the public that this is all a big coincidence, and that the woman who robbed the museum is probably not Sophie."

Ian nodded "so how are you going to do that?"

Daniella smiled.

"Well, I'm going to call up some contacts and have them write a few things. You are going to assure your clients that they have nothing to be worried about. And you, Mr. Ford, are going to find Sophie Devereaux."

Nate frowned "don't you think it's best to let someone else cover Devereaux's case?"

"Yeah, hasn't he already caused enough of a ruckus?" Ian asked.

Nate glared at him as Daniella replied.

"My motto is this is just a big coincidence. Taking Mr. Ford off of Sophie's case would mean you believe he did something wrong. You don't believe that."

"Well, I don't know-"

"Yes you do. In order to convince anyone of anything you need to believe it yourself, and I need you to convince your clients and stock holders that your company is innocent, but you have to believe it yourself. Agreed?"

Ian sighed, but nodded, opting to trust the professional.

"Good. then it's all settled. Mr. Ford, the sooner you arrest Sophie Devereaux, the sooner I can prove that you aren't on her side.

"I guess I'd better get to work then." Nate shook Daniella's hand again before turning and heading for the door.

"Now, go make those phone calls. I'm going to set up a press conference for this evening." Was the last thing Nate heard before he left the room.

But press conferences and newsletters were the last thing on Nathan Ford's mind at the moment.

His job, his reputation, his sanity depended on catching Sophie Devereaux as soon as possible. And after years of chasing her, if anyone knew how difficult of a task that was, it was him.

 **Hey all, thanks to those who reviewed, followed, and/or faved this story! I hope I'm keeping everyone sort of in character. I love love LOVE Sterling's "Hello Nate," that he says every time he and Nate meet during the show, so I couldn't help but add that. -P**

 **Oh, and hang in there leverage family enthusiasts, the first kid will be introduced to the story very soon. Who do you think it will be? Put your guess in your review and I'll put everyone's answers together as a sort of poll when I post the next chapter.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and be sure to review and follow!**


	3. Chapter 3: Chocolate Girl

**Hey all! Here is the very long third chapter: a reward to all of you who followed and reviewed LGSAF since I last updated. Three of you responded to my poll (A big round of applause for Dolphingirls, rmonroe, and Nophiefan!). One guess for Eliot and two for Hardison (I'm sure he feels extremely proud right now). Well, now we shall see who the first kid actually is. :-D**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter III: Chocolate Girl

Sophie Devereaux walked down the streets of Manhattan New York and stopped in front of a small cafe. She took a deep breath before going inside.

It was a small, neutral colored space with about five tables and a few people, most of whom were sitting.

The walls were lined with plants, large and small, and some beautiful paintings. It gave the place a classy tropical feel that Sophie admired. There was also a flat screened TV in one of the corners that played the news.

The place was just as Sophie remembered it.

"Can I help you?" A brunette waitress with curly hair approached her."

"Um, I'm waiting for a friend." Sophie replied.

"Oh, well in that case how about a table?" The waitress gestured her over to an empty table near a wall across from the TV.

Sophie thanked her and ordered a coffee, sipping on it while absent-mindedly watching the TV as she waited. For a while it was just the weather and everyday politics, but it was the next story that caught Sophie's attention.

"Gandrige museum was broken into last night and a painting insured for six million dollars by T.M.D.A. Insurance was stolen," the news anchor reported. Sophie pursed her lips, impressed. Whoever had managed a feat like that was good - maybe even as good as her.

She chuckled as the news anchor continued.

"The main suspect at the time is Sophie Devereaux, and infamous art thief in the criminal world."

Sophie's eyeballs popped out of their sockets.

"What!" She gaped before quickly silencing herself and glancing around to see if anyone had heard her. It didn't appear as if anyone had.

"Apparently Nathan Ford, the I.Y.S. Insurance investigator who has been tracking Devereaux for years now, was in the museum gallery moments before the painting was stolen. For those of you who don't know, I.Y.S. and T.M.D.A. have one of the biggest rivalries in the industry. Ford's actions leave us wondering if this was a plot by I.Y.S. to sink their rival? More on this story in a bit."

The channel went on a commercial break, leaving Sophie struggling to keep her jaw from dropping.

"What kind of sorcery is this!" She snapped.

"Well I'm sorry, all I didn't know walking up to a dear old friend was any type of magic at all." A familiar voice spoke from behind her.

"Greg Shwartz, how nice to see you again." Sophie smiled, temporarily forgetting her problems and rising from her chair to greet her friend.

"The pleasure is all mine Sophie." He grasped her hands in his and held them tightly for a moment before letting go and allowing her to sit back down.

He sat across from her and clasped his hands on the table in front of him.

"So, what's this I hear about sorcery?"

"Well, apparently I broke into the Gandrige museum last night when I most definitely didn't."

Greg shot her a confused look and Sophie explained in more detail what the news anchor had just said.

"Wow." He laughed. "You've been a very busy lady, huh."

Sophie scowled at him. "I didn't do it Greg."

"I'm sure you didn't, Soph." The man winked.

Sophie sighed. "well, it's all the better that you're here. I was looking for another place to lay low for a bit, now I'll really need one. Any ideas?"

"I've always got ideas." Greg shrugged.

"What kind of place are you looking for?"

"Something different. I need to throw Nate off."

"You mean out of your ordinary inhabitance? I've got just the place. You'll love it." Greg promised with a grin worth a thousand dollars. Unfortunately, Sophie forgot what those types of grins on Greg meant.

"It's an abandoned apartment. It's in a bad part of town so you should keep your eye out, but I promise it's just what you need. Not a whole lot of street cams in that area either, just in store windows so you might want to be mindful of that.

"I don't think I.Y.S. Has access to private store cameras." Sophie told him.

"Where is it?"

Greg pulled out his phone and showed her on the map, then wrote down the directions on a napkin.

"Thanks so much Greg, I new I could count on you!" Sophie gave him a smile as she stood up.

"Hey! Wait a moment! You aren't going to stay around for a few? We haven't had time to catch up."

"I really would love to." Sophie replied.

"But unfortunately I probably should go. It's only a matter of time before they pop my face up there with a rewards offer next to it."

Greg rolled his eyes. "Like the drama queen you are Soph. Alright, but when this blows over you owe me a dinner date."

"And I'll look forward to it." Sophie nodded to him before heading towards the door. Greg stood up and walked her out of the cafe towards her car.

"Thanks again Greg." She told him as she got into it.

"Don't mention it," Greg smiled.

"Good luck."

"Same to you." Sophie started the engine, giving him one last wave before driving away.

It wasn't long after Sophie reached her destination that she realized what Greg had meant by abandoned. He had meant abandoned by humans, nothing more. The place was filled with life forms Sophie didn't know existed.

The apartment was a dusty, pitiful excuse for a dwelling. It wasn't the kind of thing Sophie was accustomed to at all. Sure, being a thief and a grifter had led to some nights in tight spaces, but never anything as dreary as this fourth floor penitentiary; it did an effective job of making Sophie reconsider her life in crime.

She groaned as she blew a massive spider web out of her face for what seemed like the billionth time. It had taken her almost two hours for her to work up the courage to tour the small fourth floor apartment. Along the way she had managed to find a few things that had been left behind by the previous owners; moldy food, a cockroach infested mattress, and something that looked like it had once been a bookshelf but was now both termite play land and rat nest depot.

Fortunately, the two latter objects were in the apartment's only bedroom and she saw no reason to disturb either. She left them unbothered and closed the door to the bedroom, making a mental note to come back and stuff any holes under the door. She didn't want any of the room's contents to crawl into the area she would soon claim her living space.

After getting an idea of what she was dealing with, she headed to a relatively small department store called Shop Heart, a place she had spotted a few blocks down when she had driven up here. She surveyed the store and it's security for a few minutes before she began stuffing bottles of bleach and other cleaning products into a large Gucci bag she used for thievery purposes. Not only did it conceal a large number of items, but people were less likely to suspect someone with a Gucci bag stealing.

She was low on cash, so she honestly couldn't have brought most of the stuff if she had wanted to. Sure she had credit cards with lots of money on them, but that always led Nate straight to her; something she wanted to avoid. So she agreed to save her cash for buying things that were harder to steal, like a broom and dustpan.

She lingered in the insect/rodent repellent section longer than any of the others. What she picked would basically determine how her evening went so she needed to pick well. After carefully reading the labels on the bug repellents, she grabbed the two that impressed her the most and swiftly put them in her bag before moving on to the rodent repellents. She was running out of space in the bag now so she could really only choose one type.

She eventually settled on a brand she had heard of in a commercial and attempted to slip it into her bag but was slightly short on space. She maneuvered things around so that her wallet would be in the side pocket. With this adjustment, she was barely able to put the rodent repellant into her bag and close the top of the purse so no one would see it.

She then proceeded to the aisle where brooms and dustpans were and began picking out one of each. It was during this moment that she felt an ever so slight tug at her bag's shoulder strap.

Any other time she probably would not have noticed it, but now, being sensitive to bugs and other critters that had surrounded her just a half an hour earlier, she turned to see what it was. She prayed to the Lord of sanity that it wasn't a roach.

Instead, Sophie was faced with a person.

A small person who took off running down the aisle before Sophie could get a good look at her.

A bad feeling funneled through her stomach and Sophie checked the side compartment of her bag only to find it empty.

"Hey! Come back here!" She yelled, running after the thief. She chased the girl all around the store, attracting several awkward looks from other shoppers. Unfortunately, catching the little thief proved to be hard, and the challenge increased when the girl darted into the "employees only" storage area. Careful not to be seen entering, Sophie pushed open the doors and sincerely hoped that no one would see her on the other side.

To her luck, no one was in the immediate vicinity and she turned her attention back to looking for the thief. She desperately scanned the room before spotting a small movement over in the corner of the storage area, behind a stack of boxes.

Carefully walking over to the corner, she saw the thief trying to pull off the cover to a vent that sat near the bottom of the wall between a row of boxes.

"Hold it right there!" Sophie hissed as loudly as she thought she could get away with.

"Give me my wallet back."

The thief ignored her and continued to try and open the vent cover. Sophie proceeded to walk over to her but that was when the girl turned around.

"I'll scream if you touch me." She threatened. "I saw you stealing."

The threat was effective, freezing Sophie in her path. If the girl had seen her stealing the employees would easily find the objects she had taken, and that would be as bad or worse as loosing her wallet anyway. Her pause gave her a moment to really take in her new adversary.

She couldn't have been older than seven or eight. She had stormy grayish blue eyes and messy blonde hair that fell a few inches past her shoulders. She was dressed in an old red T-shirt with worn off black letters and ragged blue jeans with large holes in the knees, Sophie's wallet firmly tucked in one of the worn down pockets. She wore ragged sneakers mismatched in size and color with the larger being green and the smaller being orange; her big toe poked through the front of the orange one.

Sophie stared at the girl in shock for a few quick seconds before the girl turned around and proceeded to pull off the cover.

"Wait!" Sophie cried. She couldn't loose her wallet this easily. It wasn't even just the money, she didn't want her ID or credit cards to be used and lure anyone into the immediate vicinity. Plus, if that did happen, she wouldn't even have the credit cards to use for an emergency escape.

The girl ignored her and began crawling into the vent. Sophie thought frantically for a solution before remembering something she had stuffed at the bottom of her bag.

"Chocolate, I have chocolate!" She offered weakly, but knew it was no use. Even though the girl was young, she appeared to be a seasoned criminal. The fact that she had managed to sneak up on, steal, and threaten another much older thief proved that.

By some miracle, however, the girl stopped and turned around curiously.

"Chocolate?" She asked.

"Yeah, I have two chocolate bars. They're really good." Sophie replied in relief, using her grifting powers to help sell the girl.

"I'll trade them to you for my wallet." Sophie added after she felt she had the girl hooked.

The little girl glanced at the wallet, then back at Sophie and the chocolate bars she held out.

"Why do you want the wallet?" She asked curiously.

"Because I have important things in there and I need money to buy something." Sophie replied, refraining from snapping "because it's mine!"

"But why do you need money when you can steal?" The girl asked. Sophie was shocked that the girl who had sounded like a bank robber just moments ago now sounded like an innocent child. She was also perplexed at why the girl would even consider handing over the wallet for chocolate she could easily steal herself, but she decided not to question the "miracle."

"Because I need a broom and a dustpan, and I can't steal those."

"How come?" The girl looked genuinely confused. "That's easy!"

Sophie shook her head about to disagree but stopped when a weird smile crossed the girl's face. Her eyes darted over the something behind Sophie.

"Trouble, see ya!" Just like that she was gone through the vent. Sophie turned her head to spot an employee walking her way.

"Hey, you! What are you doing in here?"

Sophie quickly slipped the chocolate bars back into her bag and zipped it up before turning around to face the annoyed male employee approaching her.

"I'm so sorry, I was looking for the ladies room. One of the other employees told me it was back here but I can't find it." Sophie once again put her grifting powers to work, easily adopting the role of a lost, confused customer.

"There's no bathroom back here lady, it's on the other side of the store by the clothes. Now get out."

"I'm so sorry." Sophie repeated, heading for the door and going back into the main area. Breathing a sigh of relief, she now allowed her frustration to get to her.

She has been so close to getting her wallet back but now the girl was gone, and so was her entire money supply. As she headed for the exit she grabbed a small chocolate cake slice from the dessert aisle and slipped it into the compartment where her wallet used to be. At this point she deserved it; her day had gone from really bad to worse in just moments.

She still couldn't believe that not only had the girl spotted her stealing, but she had also managed to steal from her. The kid couldn't have even been a decade old.

No, Sophie wasn't and a master at thievery but she normally did a decent job of stealing without getting caught. And no one had ever managed to steal from her while she stole.

"At the worst possible time too."

If her credit card was used anywhere in the vicinity it would lead Ford, and at this point maybe even the police, straight to her.

She was still sulking when she exited the store, but her pitiful thoughts were interrupted when she spotted a brand new broom and dustpan laying abandoned in front of the alley to the left of the store.

She frowned, walking over to them cautiously and soon spotting the thief standing in the alley directly behind the objects.

"Told you it was easy," The girl bragged.

"Can I have chocolate?"'

How? Sophie wondered in awe as hope returned to her heart like a butterfly to a flower.

"If I get my wallet back."

Just as she had done earlier, the girl pondered the idea for a few moments before nodding. She cautiously moved closer to Sophie and extended the wallet only when Sophie held out the chocolate bars. She quickly let go of the wallet and snatched the chocolate from Sophie's hand, retreating back into the alley.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sophie checked the wallet for its contents and found all of her credit cards and various ID's, but not a single dime of her money.

"You took the money." She complained.

"I like money." The girl replied as she stuffed one of the chocolate bars in her mouth whole.

"Ugh..." Sophie moaned before deciding to let it go and take the win. She would have had to spend the money anyway and she no longer had to worry about her cards being used.

"Well thanks." The told the girl who mumbled something incoherent as she chewed the chocolate bar.

Sophie grabbed the broom and dustpan and started back for her building, feeling much better.

Her happy bubble popped the moment she stepped back into the apartment and saw a rat dart away from her bags. All that evening Sophie fought dirt and critters with her newly acquired combat tools. Still, things continued to sink to an all time low when she sat down to eat her cake and found ants were crawling inside. Not much later, Sophie ran out of the apartment struggling not to pull her hair out.

Greg was right, it was a bad neighborhood and there were all kinds of scary looking people around doing things that would probably make Sophie want to run back to her critter roommates if she knew about them.

But since she didn't she opted to stay out for a bit to get some fresh air. She wasn't a fool though, she stayed alert to her surroundings with her hand never leaving the pocket she had placed her pink taser in.

She had almost completely encircled her block when she heard a scream coming from the alleyway across the street.

The scream had most likely come from a young female but it stopped abruptly, leaving Sophie curious. Against her better judgement she decided to see if she could figure out what was going on. She crossed the street and headed over to the dark middle space between the surrounding apartment building.

There was nothing in her immediate view as it was too dark to see more than a few feet ahead, but she did hear the faint sounds of struggling and heavy breathing. She crept further into the alley, her heart beating like a drum as she got closer to whatever action was going on.

Suddenly things got quiet.

"Who's there!" A rough male voice yelled suddenly. Sophie froze, fearing the worst. Her hand slowly crept down to her pocket and she wrapped her fingers around the taser, preparing it for action.

"I said who's there!" The voice yelled again and Sophie felt the urge to turn around and run but found herself facing a bright light before she could.

She winced as she took in what she was up against. There were two large, muscular men who appeared to be tattooed from head to toe. They were both bald with multiple piercings in their ears and nose. They were also tall but one was slightly taller than the other.

It was the shorter man who held the flashlight in Sophie's face, and it was the taller one who had his arms wrapped around something very different.

"Let me go!" A young voice managed to cry out and Sophie immediately recognized the person as the girl who had stolen from her just hours earlier.

"Get out of here!" The man holding the flashlight snapped. Sophie stuck both of her hands in her pockets and adopted the persona of an ignorant, stubborn woman, hoping the men wouldn't realize she had a weapon.

"What are you doing with her?" Sophie snapped.

"None of your business! Go!"

Sophie frowned. "You're assaulting a little girl, if you don't stop I'm calling the cops."

The little girl gave her a wide eyes, as if she would have slapped her hands on her forehead if she could have. The two men, however, glanced at each other before they burst out laughing.

"Cops don't do nothing around here, woman." The taller man said with a grin.

"They don't care to mess with us, they know what's good for them."

"If there's anyone you should be calling he cops on it's this little thief." The second man added in a voice that wreaked with frustration.

"She don't know better than to steal from her elders. And she still won't tell me where my damn money is! Freaking two hundred bucks gone!"

"Let the girl go or you'll regret it!" Sophie threatened, trying to cover up the fear in her voice."

Both men stared at her in awe before the shorter one began walking towards her. It was now that Sophie got an even better look at his huge muscles. She was more than tempted to run and never look back but something wouldn't let her leave the girl.

"Something tells me you're new around here, that you haven't figured out how things go in this area yet."

The taller man also began walking towards her, dragging the struggling blonde girl behind him.

"I'm getting the same feeling, Phil." He addressed his partner.

"Don't touch me!" Sophie darted out of the way as Phil reached out to grab her right arm. He succeeded, however, on the second attempt.

He forced her against the side of one of the buildings and leaned in close, his smelly breath fulling Sophie's anger even further as he spoke.

"I think it might be time for you to learn about the local peking order."

Hidden from the view of both the muscle man's friend and the young thief, Sophie seized the opportunity to lash out with her taser, striking him in the stomach.

"Agghh!" He yelled in pain and Sophie punched him in the head as he fell to the ground, momentarily knocking him out. Because he had been holding the flashlight it went down with him, and Sophie was left staring into the darkness. Still, she could hear the other man's gasps of shock.

"What did you do!" He yelled, letting go of the younger girl who promptly fled the scene. "I'll kill you!"

With one hand, he shined another flashlight at Sophie. With the other hand he put the woman at gunpoint, causing her heart to skip at least three beats.

"You weren't kidding huh." She chuckled nervously.

"He'll live you know." She knew she couldn't punch well so she assumed that. But seeing that the man still hadn't stirred she began wondering if she was right.

Ignoring her comment, the man continued to hold his gun pointed at Sophie's temple and she quickly realized she needed a plan.

"Honey, come on, you don't really want to shoot me," She whispered seductively as she waved her hips back in forth a little; just enough to catch the man's attention, but not enough for him to realize it.

"We could have a nice night."

"You just knocked out my friend." The man snapped but Sophie shushed him.

"He'll be alright. Trust me."

She sent him a few neurolinguistic gestures and eventually found him taking him hand off of the trigger, even though the gun was still pointed at her head.

"This is all that effing girl's fault! Why do you care about her?" The man snapped.

Sophie shrugged. "Oh, I don't know... I have a thing for children."

"You made me loose her." The man growled before becoming slightly distracted when his friend finally moved, moaning in pain.

The gun lowered and Sophie seized the opportunity to leap forward with her taser in hand, electrocuting the second man and then the first man again as he was beginning to regain his strength.

Then she raced out of the alley and around the block, frequently checking over her shoulder to make sure no one was following her. Still, she didn't want to go immediately back to her dwelling just in case, so instead she ran into an empty alley behind an apartment building. She put her hands on her head, panting as she sank against the side of the steps.

She froze when she heard steps rounding the corner and tried to blend into the shadows of the staircase.

She peered out moments later and was relieved to see the little blonde girl standing at the entrance to the alley.

"Hey." Sophie said softly, rushing over to her and attempting to put her hands on the girls shoulders. She was automatically pushed away.

Sophie shrugged and studied the girl for a moment. She had a bloody nose and several bruises but other than that she looked okay.

"How are you holding up?" Sophie asked and the girl bit her lip.

"Okay..."

There was a long pause. Sophie half expected a thank you but none came. She shrugged once again before it suddenly dawned on her that she didn't even know the girl's name.

"Sweet heart, what's your name?"

The girl looked reluctant but eventually replied.

"Parker."

Sophie nodded. "It's nice to meet you Parker. My name is Sophie."

Parker nodded and looked away, wiping blood from her nose.

Sophie frowned, more questions coming to her mind.

"How come you aren't at home? Aren't your parents worried about you?"

Parker shook her head. "They don't mind if I'm out late."

Puzzled, Sophie forced a neutral look.

"Okay, well, how about if I take you home? We don't want you to get into anymore trouble tonight."

"No!" Parker yelled, turning and heading out of the alley.

"Hey Parker, wait!" Sophie called after her frantically. After all that she had gone through to rescue the girl she really wanted her to be somewhere safe for at least a little while.

"How about you come to my house? We'll clean you up a bit."

Sophie forced herself to relax as the girl turned around and investigated every muscle In her body, trying to gage whether or not she could trust the woman.

"I have more chocolate bars." Sophie added, which seemed to help Parker's careful scrutiny come to a positive conclusion.

The girl eventually agreed and followed Sophie back to her house, though Sophie noticed that Parker never dropped her guard, tensing every time she spoke and nearly darting away whenever there was a sudden movement.

But even so, Parker stayed at Sophie's apartment for nearly and hour. Sophie found a few napkins inside of her bag and wiped the blood of the small girl's face. She then put some canned beans into one of her plates for the girl. Of course, Sophie also served chocolate bars afterwards.

It took a lot to get the nervous child to talk, but the more she spoke the more Sophie came to the conclusion that the girl was either living with an abusive family or wasn't living with anyone at all. She wasn't sure which option she believed more, but it seemed nearly impossible for such a little person to be living on their own in an area like this.

After all, Sophie had almost been killed on her first night.

Eventually Parker insisted on leaving and Sophie made it clear that the girl could come back anytime she liked. She soon began to regret the offer upon noticed her wallet sitting on the kitchen countertop when she knew she had last placed it in her bag.

Anger began to flare as Sophie feared the worst, thinking the girl might have stolen her credit cards or IDs. Maybe bringing the thief into her home had been a mistake. After all, she had risked her life to save the girl and not even received a thank you.

All of that melted away when she found two green one hundred dollar bills tucked neatly in her wallet.

 **This was almost 5,000 words! :-O**

 **I still can't believe it's this long, I really struggled to get this chapter to the point where I could post it and I ended up having to add a lot to it. Regardless, it was fun to write and hopefully it was fun to read! Make sure you review, don't exit this page without doing so. Parker's already mad that no one guessed she was the first kid. You don't want to make her madder, remember she likes explosives.**

 **Oh, and by the way, who do you think the second kid will be? It will be a chapter or two before he comes in but we can start polling now.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4: Weird to Mad in NYC

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay! I wrote this chapter quite a while ago but wasn't fond of it at all. I have spent as much time as possible over the last few weeks trying to get it ready, and I finally have it kind of where I want it. There's a few seasonings I wanted to add to the thickening plot, so hopefully I did a good job. And remember, y'all, reviews mean the world to me! Seriously they do; they motivate me to take time out of my busy schedule to get this done, so thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, and keep them coming!**

 **Chapter IV: Weird to Mad in NYC**

As Sophie drifted out of dreamworld she slowly became aware that she wasn't alone. Though she was pretty sure she knew who her company was, she forced herself to open her eyes and make sure. Just as she had suspected, it was Parker, who stood across the room by the window. She nodded with satisfaction before settling back into a restful state; this time not of dreams but of thoughts.

Waking up to Parker being somewhere in the apartment had become the norm over the past few days. At first Parker had been shy about coming over, but it wasn't long before the girl began inviting her in at pretty much any time; day or night, and often without Sophie knowing she was there. In the beginning Sophie had wondered how the girl was getting in since she always locked the front door. It took about two days for the brown haired woman to finally realize Parker's way of getting in and out was through the vents.

In fact, the girl seemed quite at home in vents. There were times when the she would crawl inside and stay there for hours, watching Sophie's every move.

The girl, who Sophie now knew was seven, had proven to be a very strange girl indeed, but there was also something very likable about the child; she had a cheerful innocence about her, something that Sophie didn't see much in her line of work.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a loud crash from across the room. Her eyes snapped open to spot the blonde girl standing beside a wall vent covers that had fallen to the ground.

"Sophie Sophie Sophie!" The girl cried.

"Guess what!"

"What?" Sophie groaned as she settled back down. As long as the girl was okay she could probably get five to ten more minutes of rest.

"I found a rat in the vent!

Sophie was up before the sentence was over, and it was only about millisecond after Parker closed her lips that the woman was across the room inspecting the sight. An excited Parker was standing near the kitchen island holding the tail of not just any rat, but a dead, decaying rat. Sophie could see all of the bugs that had taken up room and board throughout the carcass, and the incessant movements made her sick to her stomach. She wanted to break down and cry, but she knew it wouldn't do anything for her, So instead she spoke as calmly and clearly as possible.

"Parker, I want you to take the dead thing outside and put it in the dumpster."

Parker gave her a confused look.

"But I want to keep it as a pet. I've never had a pet before."

Of all of the insane things the girl had said and done so far, Sophie had to rank this at the top. And she sincerely hoped it would stay that way.

"It's dead Parker, it's not a pet. Take it out."

Parker looked both perplexed and disappointed as Sophie ushered her through the front door. As the seven year old walked towards the staircase Sophie could hear her whispering to the dead animal about how unfair it was that she couldn't keep it. Soon after, Sophie was left alone with a bottle of Lysol which she promptly sprayed around the area Parker and her "pet" had occupied.

When Parker eventually came back, Sophie used soap, bottled water, and hand sanitizer to clean the girls hands, then she sprayed her up and down with Lysol before letting the event drop for the moment.

"How about breakfast?"

"Cereal?"

"Mmmhmm..."

Cold cereal had quickly become the the girl's favorite foods and the only thing she's dr really wanted to eat. Sophie sighed as she poured a bowl of cereal for the seven year old, finishing it off with sugar and milk. Then she herself ate a granola bar Parker had stolen from the store for her yesterday. Having the little girl around had proven especially helpful in terms if stocking up the apartment with supplies.

And Parker had no problem with stealing anything Sophie asked for as long as she received a chocolate bar or cereal as payment. It still perplexed Sophie that Parker hadn't realized she didn't need Sophie to give her chocolate bars or cereal, but as with the rat incident this morning, many things about the seven year old perplexed the elder woman.

But regardless, each day she found herself getting more and more used to the young girl's company.

They finish their breakfast together before Sophie directed their attention towards cleaning the apartment, as she did everyday. This time, however, she put greater concentration on laying down rat repellents. Her occupied state allowed two hidden pairs of the eyes to watch her every move without fear.

Somewhere across the city, a very frustrated Nate drove down the skyscraper filled blocks.

It had been about two days since Ian Blackpoole had received the letter that had sent him into this frantic frenzy of rushing to find the art thief.

46 Hours, 15 minutes Ago:

 _"The woman is a miracle worker, and she's cute too." Ian chuckled. Nate just stared at him._

 _"You're a sick man."_

 _"Oh come on Nate, loosen up. How's that woman you were dating- Amy... Am-Am..."_

 _"I'm going to break up with her, I just haven't felt like doing the talking it requires," Nate admitted._

 _"Well, you'll find someone some day." Ian chuckled once again at the thought of Daniella. His statement, however, annoyed Nate further._

 _"She's young enough to be your granddaughter," he snapped._

 _"Well, well, well, are you calling me old?"_

 _There was a knock on the door and Nate stormed over to it, giving him a moment to think over the "yes" response he was about to give. He wanted it to be more than just a yes; kind of like a "hell yeah, dinosaur," and not in a playful way._

 _"Mail." A younger male worker, who's job was basically to distribute company mail, handed Nate a stack of envelopes._

 _"They're for Mr. Blackpoole." He glanced into the room to make sure the correct receiver of the envelopes would receive them._

 _Nate took the stack and nodded at the boy before turning back into the room and closing the door. He threw the envelopes at the old man's desk. Ian rolled his eyes as he walked over to collect them and began opening them._

 _"Bills, junk..."_

 _"Opening mail is so dull now... Remember how exciting it was as a kid?"_

 _Nate's expression hardened, shooting Ian a look that dared him to go further._

 _But Ian ignored it._

 _"Remember how excited Sam used to get? Does he still get that excited?"_

 _"Do. Not. Talk. About. Sam!"_

 _"Has he spoken to you recently?"_

 _Feelings of anguish flared up in Nate. He felt his hope in ever hearing from the boy again waning... But who's fault was that really?_

 _"I'll rip your head off Blackpoole!"_

 _"Okay, okay..."_

 _Silence filled the room for a few moments before Ian picked up an envelope and glanced at the sender's address with curiosity._

 _"Don't recognize this." He waggled the envelope near Nate's face before setting out to open it._

 _"Probably junk mail."_

 _Nate gave no response other than a continuing glare as the old man pried open the envelope and read the letter inside. It was only a moment before Ian's eyebrows furrowed, his lips tightened and he began shaking. His fist clenched into a ball as he handed the piece of paper to Nate._

 _"What is it?" Nate asked as he turned his eyes towards the five lines of neatly written cursive:_

 _Dear Mr. Blackpoole,_

 _If you think things are getting better now, it's the eye of the storm; Sophie is going to die._

 _A murder on your hands Mr. Blackpoole, and you know there's enough evidence to put you under investigation._

 _I will enjoy watching that cash boat of yours hit rock bottom... Along with that ego I always hated._

 _Sincerely, the one you screwed._

 _Nate frowned as he turned to hand the letter black to Ian, but found the man was shaking like a leaf during a hurricane._

 _"If Sophie dies, everyone will think it's me behind it!" Ian cried._

 _"Do you have any idea who could have written this?"_

 _"How should I know? I've screwed so many people!"_

 _Nate rolled his eyes, but didn't doubt the validity of that statement. After all, he knew first hand..._

 _"Can't we just show this to the police? They can find finger prints..."_

 _"No. Whoever did this knows better than to have fingerprints, and we're already under fire. If this goes out it will spark an investigation and you know we can't handle that right now."_

 _"Speaking of investigation, what king of evidence is there against you?"_

 _Nate noticed how smoothly Ian ignored his question as he began pacing around the room._

 _"This is bad Nate. Really bad!"_

" _Where's the love of your life? She'll know what to do."_

 _"I'll call her." Ian tried to pick up his phone but his trembling hands failed him. Nate sighed and snatched the phone up, dialing the PR specialist's number..._

And that had lead him directly to the frustration he was feeling presently. Daniella had assured Nate that finding Sophie before the murder, which she had faith that he could do, was the best option; especially considering the light in which she has depicted the previous incidents. Of course Ian had driven him insane about it ever since.

And lack of luck in finding her had led Ian to make Nate do something he really didn't want to do. It was also something illegal. He pulled up in front of a large apartment building and got out of his car, glancing around.

All sorts of people filled the sidewalk, from old ladies carrying shopping bags, to mothers with their babies, to people Nate suspected were drug dealers, to teenagers riding their bikes, to children running around playing tag. Nate observed the children with a hint of sadness. They were all so small and fragile, just like Sam had been.

"I need a drink." He mumbled under his breath as he headed towards the alley way he had agreed to meet in. He noticed a young African American boy around ten years old get up off of the stairs where he had been sitting and follow in Nate's path. He briefly wondered if the boy had recognized him from the news but shrugged the thought off. The boy probably lived in this direction. Any feelings of concern were settled when he turned into the alley and wasn't followed.

He waited patiently In the alley for several moments before a large figure, not in height but in muscle, turned into the alley. His cold gaze pierced Nate's soul, making him regret letting Ian make him do this. He was really getting tired of letting Ian make him do things...

"So you're Gregory Schwartz." Nate observed the man under his breath as the distance between them shortened.

"I know who I am," A cold voice replied. Apparently the hit man had good ears.

"Don't waste my time. What's the job?"

"I need you to track down a woman." Nate told him, pulling out his phone and pulling up a picture of Sophie Devereaux.

Schwartz observed him carefully for a moment before smirking. Despite the tenseness of the situation, Nate felt the exact moment when the scale began to tip out of his favor.

"You're the insurance cop. Can't beat her huh."

Nate didn't respond because he had a feeling a response wasn't wanted.

"I heard you were an honest man."

Now that warranted a response.

"I am. This wasn't my idea."

Schwart's smirk disappeared.

"It's a high profile case and it's not a murder job. Two things going against it."

There was a sense of amusement to the conversation despite the man's war torn gaze. It was almost as if Nate was being played.

"I'm prepared to pay handsomely."

"What makes you think I want to help an insurance cop? I've been chased by a few of those.

Nate looked away as he pulled out his checkbook and wrote out a number with several zeros on it.

"You're a cold hearted man. You don't care who you help as long as you get a check."

The man shook his head and turned to leave as he responded.

"Not actually true. This isn't my sort of job Ford."

"Wait!" Nate was almost begging regardless of the fact that the scale was irredeemably against him now. He grabbed another check and added another two zeros to the number in a desperate last attempt.

"I'm rich Ford, I don't need a place to sleep. I've got plenty. I do what interest me and this job doesn't interest me, in fact, it gets in the way of a meal I'm looking forward to."

Nate sighed as he watched the man walk away. He wasn't quite sure what had gone wrong during the brief encounter but it had seemed to go downhill the moment he showed the picture of Sophie's face.

As he headed out of the alley his thoughts drifted to Ian; how had he known about this guy anyway... Had he used his services before? And what was he going to do about updating the old man. That was perhaps the most frustrating thought of all.

He finally made it back to his car, and was heading back towards his hotel when a text came through that transformed his frustration into misery.

 _"Hey dad."_

Nate stared at his phone screen for several moments as he felt the final supporting columns of his world crash down.

He made a beeline for the nearest liquor store and brought about least five bottles of beer, not even waiting before he got back to the hotel to start guzzling.

Just when he had managed to subdue his pain about Sam enough to deal with life, the boy had written himself back into it. What could he possibly want?

With perfect timing, his phone buzzed again and Nate glanced down at it as he carried his beer bottles up to his hotel room.

 _"I just want to know how u r doing."_

Nate entered his room and threw his phone down on one of the double beds before falling onto the other and opening up a second bottle. It wasn't long before he had escaped into the semi-bliss of drunk-ness. Nearly two hours passed before the phone made another sound again, this time a ring. Nate, who had spent the time brewing about his situation, was thoroughly pissed off at the caller.

"Don't ask me for a progress report Blackpoole! You had the wrong guy planned for this! I don't know how you know Schwartz! I'm sick of you using me to do your dirty work!"

though."

"Hey, easy Nate. Have you been drinking or something?"

"If I have it's my own damn business!" Nate yelled.

"You fucking ruined my life Blackpoole. I can't even talk to my son because you're a blackmailing jerk! A fucking blackmailing jerk!"

He could hear the old man pleading with him to calm down but he didn't care. His vision was red and it felt good; it felt good to finally unleash this on the person he hated so thoroughly. Why was he even putting up with him again?

"I'm not going down for you, Blackpoole. I'm going I find Sophie, but you aren't getting off the hook. After I do I'm telling everything!" He yelled.

"Nate, calm down and come to your senses-"

"That's what I'm finally doing!"

"I made you!"

"No, you broke me. I won't give you the satisfaction of having me go to jail with you, but I don't care about my career anymore, I can't live with this or you!"

His fingers were trembling so much he could hardly hang up. He threw the device at the wall and sat with his head in his hands. He stayed like that for only a few moments before he reached over for his final bottle of beer and began chucking it down.

He fell asleep not long after, only to be awoken late the next morning by the ringing of the hotel phone.

 **Hey all! So no, Sam isn't dead. Sam is actually quite alive, and you'll learn more about that drama later. And yes, the tension between Ian and Nate has finally come to a head. Do any of you have ideas as to what might have happened? I'd love to hear them.**


	5. Chapter 5: Hack a Deal

**Hi people! So sorry this has taken so long; I've really had a hard time finding the time... No pun intended! ;-) Thanks soooooo much to all of you who reviewed - they meant so much to me and definitely motivated me to work on this, even if it took some time!**

Chapter V: Hack a Deal

"Nate Ford speaking," the man mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with one hand and holding the phone to his ears with the other.

"Good morning Mr. Ford. We just wanted to notify you that your business partner is waiting for you in the lobby."

Nate didn't even notice the confused tone of her voice as he was too confused himself. He cringed as he sat up, a ringing in his head reminding him of his excursion from the night before. However, thanks to his ability to be a functional drunk, It wasn't long before he redirected his attention to the situation at hand.

"I don't have a business partner."

He could almost hear the woman chewing on her lips as she responded. "I can tell him to leave... He's insistent though, and from the looks of it you have done business with him before."

Nate took a deep breath as he thought about who could possibly want to see him. Couldn't be Schwartz right?

"I'll be right down." He hung up without waiting for a reply and threw on a decent pair of clothes, grabbing his gun and hooking it into his hip as a safety measure. Satisfied that he looked somewhat decent he headed down to the lobby and gave the lady at the front desk an inquisitive look as he approached. She gestured over to the mostly empty waiting area; the only person there was a small African American boy who sat in one of the chairs with his back in their direction. Nate looked back to the lady at the front desk with a puzzled expression on his face.

"What business person?" He asked.

She gestured for him to come closer before speaking.

"That little boy came in here and demanded to speak Nathan Ford. Of course I doubted he was working with you but he started showing me tax returns... I didn't know insurance cops hired kids."

"They don't." Nate replied cooly. "What's his name?"

"Hardison I believe."

Not recognizing the name, he glanced back over at the boy before nodding a half hazard thanks to the lady and walking over to the waiting area. As he approached he realized it was the same boy he had seen when talking to Schwartz. The one who had almost appeared to be following him. With the shock of the realization, his voice came out a bit harsher than he had intended it to.

"How can I help you?"

The boy turned to notice Nate standing beside his chair and smiled, unfazed by the man's cold voice.

"I believe it is me who can help you. It's nice to meet you Mr. Ford, I'm Alec Hardison."

The obviously confident child was around middle school age, if that, and had dark skin, big brown eyes, and short, rather dirty hair. He had a black lap top bag by his side, and had a nice silver lap top on his lap, which couldn't have been more than a few years old. As for clothing, he was dressed in relatively professional clothing: dress shirt, dress pants, a tie, and black boots. All of the clothes were worn and stained but Nate noticed several clever efforts to make the imperfections a little less noticeable, such as an old watch that covered a tear on the wrist of the shirt. Overall, it was clear that the child was attempting a professional look, and years ago Nate might have been intrigued.

Hardison set his laptop to the side and stood up to shake Nate's hand. The insurance cop, however, refused to extend his own hand, crossing both of his arms and glaring at the boy.

"How can I help you?" He repeated his earlier question. He had far to much to worry about and he knew it would only be a matter of time before he heard back from his dreaded boss - ex boss actually; Nate had meant it when he said he was done. Yes he was broke, Sam's medical costs had wiped him clean financially, but he would figure out something. Honestly, living on the streets was better than working for an old selfish gizzard, and he would do it if necessary.

Still appearing unfazed by his uninterested attitude, however, Hardison smiled proudly. "Like I said, I can help you."

"I doubt that. I don't have time for children's games." Nate turned and prepared to walk away but halted mid step as the next sentence entered his ears.

"I know where Sophie Devereaux is."

He turned back and eyed the child suspiciously. "You know Devereaux?"

"No."

"Then how can you claim that. How do you even know about her?"

Hardison chuckled as if it were obvious. "The same way I knew where you were! I used technology, Duh! And she's like one of the best grifters out there so quite a few people know about her."

Nate maintained an uninterested face as he continued to study the boy skeptically. Half of him couldn't believe the situation he was in and half of him didn't care.

"Where is she then?"

Hardison frowned, "You don't think I work for free do you? I'll tell you but there's a fee you have to pay first."

"Oh, and how much is this fee?"

"My base fee is $5,000, and my hourly fee is $1000 dollars-"

"Thousand what?" Nate asked in disbelief.

Hardison, who looked pissed off at being interrupted, scowled. Dollars! I certainly ain't talking pennies, and I'm cheap so be thankful. I provide a professional level of expertise-"

"Forget it then." Nate turned to leave. There was no way he was going to be scammed by a kid, and he didn't have the patience for this joke... Or whatever it was. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Hardison angrily crossing his arms in what appeared to be an attempt at pouting.

"You know what, your loss! Everyone thinks that just 'cause I'm a kid I'm stupid, but I ain't like the rest of my kind. I've been trained by John Martel. John Martel! Does that name not mean something to you!"

The rambling continued for a few moments before Hardison fell silent and Nate glanced upward, muttering a quiet thanks. He continued his walk over to the elevator and pushed the button, waiting for it to arrive on his floor. While he waited, he dared to glance back over to the waiting area and found Hardison focused on his lap top. He began wondering if the boy had really been telling the truth about knowing Sophie's location, and even being trained by John Martel who had been a prominent hacker. Nate, however, shrugged the thoughts away as the elevator arrived and the doors opened.

Of course he wasn't telling the truth; Sophie was a really good adult professional and Martel had passed away several years ago, probably before the boy had learned to write. What were the odds.

He stepped onto the elevator of pressed the button for his floor, then proceeded to wait for the doors to close as he drifted off in thought. A few moments later it dawned on him that the doors still had not closed, and he pushed the button meant to close the doors. After a moment of waiting he pushed it once again but nothing happened.

Frustrated, he stepped out of the elevator and inspected the doors before allowing his eyes to drift over in Hardison's direction. To his surprise he found the boy staring at him with a grin, his laptop still open and on his lap. Things quickly began to click into place and Nate looked around before storming over to the boy. As he did so he heard the elevator doors close and the vessel departed from the lobby floor.

"You did that?" The amazement in his mind almost leaked into his voice.

"Yep, it's a trick I learned when I was waiting for my dad." Hardison paused, smiling proudly. "I'm one of the best hackers in existence nowadays."

Nate ignored the boy's bragging and sat in the chair across from him, leaning close so he could speak quietly. "How exactly do you know Devereaux's location?"

"Well, it's pretty simple." Hardison pushed a few buttons on his laptop and turned it around so Nate could see the picture he had brought up. "That guy you were talking to, Schwartz, he wasn't going to help you find her."

Nate frowned as he stared at the picture in shock. Schwartz and Devereaux were sitting together in a restaurant smiling. Suddenly the events of the day before were beginning to make a lot more sense.

"They know each other..."

"Not only that, Schwartz is known for consulting other criminals on hideouts. He's got a long list of places in the city he deems safe havens. They have to pass his checklist... And I happen to know his checklist."

"So how do you know where she is?" The insurance cop repeated.

"Well, I watched her in the city camera and tracked her all the way to this side if the city." Hardison pulled up a map and gestured to it. "There are not many cameras over here, which is the way Schwartz suggested it. So after that I hacked into police car dash cams and whatever store security systems I could, and I found her car. It hasn't moved since the day she went off radar so I estimate she's within a five mile radius of the car."

Nate fought back an impressed look. "That's great, but a five mile radius is still a large area."

"Not for me." Hardison's smirk widened a bit. "Like I said, I'm one of the best out there. I kept hacking store cameras until I spotted her which means I've narrowed it down even more. It's just a matter of which building on the block she's in at this point."

"Impressive." Nate gave in, nodding at the boy. "What's the block?"

"I can't tell you that until I get paid."

"If I pay you first how do I know you will give me the information?"

"I will!" Hardison insisted.

"But how do I know that?"

The boy frowned as if he hadn't thought about that before. "Pay me half," he suggested after a few seconds.

"So I'll pay you $2,500."

Hardison shook his head. "$5,000 is my base fee. Like I as saying before I was interrupted, my hourly fee is $1,000 and hour, and I've been working on this for seven hours."

Nate raised an eyebrow. "I'm not paying you $12,000..."

"You would have paid Schwartz that..."

"Yeah well you aren't Schwartz. He had a reputation, you don't-"

"I hacked the freaking NYPD!"

"Look," Nate started in an effort to calm the riled up child down. "I'll pay you three thousand, and when you lead me to Devereaux I'll pay you the other $9,000."

"How do I know if you'll pay me?"

"I'm honest. If you research me I'm sure you'll find that there aren't too many times I've broken a deal." It was worth a try, after all, Hardison was a kid... And kids were gullible right?

Hardison shrugged. "Yeah, one of your insurance partner guys said that in an interview. I'll settle for $4,000."

So Hardison had researched him too? Nate nodded, willing to accept the deal. He was about to shake the boys hand when a sudden thought stopped him.

"$4,000 and you tell me how you faked federal documents." He proposed.

"What?" Hardison frowned in confusion.

"You showed the woman at the front desk tax returns to prove you had worked with me. How did you do that?"

"Like I said, I'm like one of the best hackers out there... I'm good." Alec shot Nate a toothy grin and held out his hand to shake. Nate sighed as he sealed the deal. The day was already off to an interesting start and he had a feeling it wasn't going to get better.

 **So, there's chapter 5, hopefully you all enjoyed it! Please leave a review, and if you have any ideas on where this might be going don't forget to add that in there too!**


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